The Rise and Fall of Acoustical Panel Ceilings

The standard acoustical panel ceiling (APC) developed in the late 1950s and is still installed widely today. Since its inception, there has been a significant shift in architectural discourse on the APC, from being seen as a revolutionary system that was an instrument of modernity and progress to a common signifier of soul-sucking office environments less than 50 years later. This paper will chronicle the rise and fall of the APC over the second half of the 20th century within office spaces. At its introduction into the market, the APC was a key technological development aiming to integrate building systems, support flexibility, and humanize the interior. Better yet, the APC promised to do all of this cheaply, quickly, simply, and beautifully, while requiring little maintenance. The use of the APC accelerated due to its easy adaptability over the next few decades. By the late 1990s, the APC appears to have failed to humanize the interior, with the office environments they graced seen as alienating and the ceiling system itself seen as “symbols of bland conformity.” In 1999, there was a particular resonance and alignment between popular culture and architectural discourse with the release of three popular films—Office Space, American Beauty, and Fight Club—that marked the nadir of the APC. Each film featured a protagonist who overcomes the monot¬ony of their banal office environment and the APC played a key role in setting this context. This telling of the APC’s story demonstrates the interplay between culture and architec¬tural discourse and the ways that attitudes toward elements of architecture are constantly shifting.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AM.109.50

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ISBN
978-1-944214-37-1